Among munitions there are many of small and medium size. These are, for example, shell, rocket, small missile warheads,. They comprise, in various casings, generally made of metal:
a charge of chemical or bacteriological toxic agent, PA1 a pyrotechnic dispersal charge, PA1 an initiation system which initiates the explosion of the pyrotechnic dispersal charge and brings about the fragmentation of the munition and the dispersal of the toxic agent. PA1 the said pool is closed so that it is sealed with respect to toxic emanations, PA1 the pyrotechnic device is ignited, the fragmentation of the munition releasing the toxic agent into the neutralizing liquid, PA1 after the duration of neutralization of the toxic agent, the pool is reopened for another cycle of destruction.
The initiation system is, for example, of the percussion fuse or the proximity fuse type. During the storage of the munitions, the initiation system is not fitted on the munition.
These munitions may also be of larger size: these are, for example, bombs or larger missile warheads. In this case, the pyrotechnic dispersal charge is of greater mass than for the aforementioned munitions.
We will use the general term munition in the text except where particular points need to be stressed.
The munitions may be in a good state but voluntarily decommissioned, or more or less damaged according to their "age" and the storage conditions and therefore be necessarily decommissioned.
The chemical toxic agents are among those known under the name of "poison gases" and are characterized by their suffocating, vesicant, haemotoxic or neurotoxic action.
We will mention among suffocating gases, chlorine and phosgene (COC1.sub.2); among vesicant agents, yperite (dichloroethylsulphide S(CH.sub.2 -CH.sub.2 Cl).sub.2, lewisite. We will also mention other organo-phosphorous compounds such as sarin (GB agent, (CH.sub.3).sub.2 CHOP (CH.sub.3) (O) F), tabun (GA agent, (CH.sub.3).sub.2 NP (OCH.sub.2CH.sub.3) (O) CN), soman (GD agent, (CH.sub.3).sub.3 CCH (CH.sub.3)OP (CH.sub.3) (O) F).
The bacteriological toxic agents are much less well known, but microbial or vital strains are used.
By destruction of the munitions, we mean the destruction of the containers and the contents: that is to say the destruction of the pyrotechnic dispersal charge, the destruction (or detoxification) of the charge of toxic agent, and finally the destruction of the casings which contain these charges and of the "structure" of the munition so that they can be scrapped or recycled after decontamination.
In an adjoining field, that of the treatment of hazardous industrial waste stored in barrels, mention may be made of the process described in Patent EP 13 822, in which the barrels are mechanically destroyed in a liquid treatment medium which neutralizes or modifies the said waste, the residue of which is then solidified and dumped.
The process known to date for destroying munitions consist in dismantling the munition into its elements, in recovering the toxic agent in suitable containers in order then to destroy the said toxic agent in specific installations, for example by neutralization or incineration in special furnaces (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,696). The pyrotechnic dispersal charge, separated from the munition is destroyed, moreover, by burning or blasting. Finally, the various casings and the structure of the munition are decontaminated before being scrapped or recycled.
The drawbacks of such a set of processes are numerous: a multitude of delicate operations on the munition which take place, moreover, in different specific installations, with transfers from one site to another. All this multiplies the risks as regards the personnel and the environment. All these drawbacks are aggravated when the munitions are in a poor state, which is frequently the case following long storage under poor conditions.
It should also be noted, as another drawback, that such a set of processes does not lend itself to the rapid destruction of a great number of munitions in a short space of time.
The problem is of having available a process and an installation for destroying the munitions containing toxic agents in a reduced number of operations, on a single site, and this being under conditions of safety which are satisfactory for the personnel and the environment. Another problem is of having available a process and an installation which lend themselves to high throughputs of destruction.